[Incroyable HULK]

Humm... Lois! Price are dropping fast... 1Gb under 100$

I wonder if it is possible to do a Multi-Boot USB flash drive?

[Jito463]

I doubt it is possible, but I hope you find a way.

[Incroyable HULK]

Well, according to my readings, I don't think it is possible either...

[htc]

Quote

Well, according to my readings, I don't think it is possible either...

Which readings? why?

[Incroyable HULK]

I am using UltraISO from ezbsystems and there was a similar question to mine on their forum. Here is the administrator answer...

Quote

I've downloaded several bootable ISOs and I want to extract the entire contents of one of them to my 1GB USB flash drive. Problem is, when I extract the data, my computers can't boot from it.

As filesystem used by a 'USB flash drive' is quite different from a bootable CD, making a bootable USB flash from a bootable CD is not possible.

[rendrag]

there must be a way to somehow point to the USB flash drive files, no?

i.e. back before CD-ROMs were bootable devices, a floppy would load first, and point to the cd-rom to boot from.

Wouldn't that work in this case? make one CD that points to the USB device to boot from. I wouldn't think a file system would stop the booting then.

what do you guys think?

[Jito463]

Well, USB flash drives are essentially miniature, removable hard drives as far as the computer is concerned. So what we need is a way to write the boot sector to the flash drive (hard drive). Once we've achieved that, it's simply a matter of making the boot sector one for CDShell or a similar project, then just add whatever boot options we want from there.

[Jito463]

Oops, sorry for the double post

This post has been edited by Jito463: 04 November 2004 - 07:22 PM

[htc]

Quote

......So what we need is a way to write the boot sector to the flash drive (hard drive). Once we've achieved that, it's simply a matter of making the boot sector one for CDShell or a similar project, then just add whatever boot options we want from there.

"CD-Shell or a similar project" will not help any more for the case of USB-boot-device.

CD Shell, Boot Script, Diskemu or Boot CD Wizard, all those use the bios extension of your mainboard, with the name "El Torito". They use the bios function call to oprate. If boot from usb-device, there is no such bios functions!!!

USB-Boot uses the bios extension of the mainboard, but in compare with CD-Boot there is no standards/specifications of it. Every manufacturer of mainboards/bios can implement is own. That is why the bootable usb stick works only on a few mainboards/PCs, but not all.

If someone (from Intel? at best not from M$) definds a specification which would be accepted by all the mainboard manufacturers, then we can programming some utils/tools as boot loader, so multiboot on ubs stick can come.

At ther present we can also do something, if the current usb-boot-bios treat the usb device like a hdd:
1. partitioning the usb device
2. iinstall diff. OS on it
3. modifiy the mbr/install a boot manager on it
you have the "multiboot usb device" , cheers.

[Scorp]

i looked at this maybe it can help you

http://www.weethet.n...romusbstick.php

scorp

[leungda]

I made a multi-boot CD image (ISO file) and I want to burn it on a USB drive. Is there any problem can do it?

[Incroyable HULK]

@ Scorp

Thanks, I've been reading the link you suggested...
I'll have to take the time to test at work, here at home I don't have a USB Drive handy.

If someone is willing to test, I suggest the following step

1- start with something simple, a Windows XP boot image for example.
2- Try with a multiboot image, like EasyBoot or CDShell

Of course you should try this on recent hardware...

[leungda]

The question is how to put the pre-made Mutli-Boot CD image into the USB stick and the USB stick can boot like a Mutil-Boot CD. ***** Of course, my motherboard can boot the USB Stick. I tried to install the Windows 98 on to my USB stick. It work*******

[Incroyable HULK]

Quote

The question is how to put the pre-made Mutli-Boot CD image into the USB stick and the USB stick can boot like a Mutil-Boot CD.

I don't think you can "merge" the ISO file to your USB drive...

If you take a look to the link provided by Scorp:
http://www.weethet.n...romusbstick.php
you can write your boot sector to the USB drive... similar to burning a boot CD with Nero where you have to specify the Boot Image File, etc...

[htc]

I wonder why are there so many people who ignored my prev. post totally! (too lower IQ to understand it?) I must quote it again:

Quote

CD Shell, Boot Script, Diskemu or Boot CD Wizard, all those use the bios extension of your mainboard, with the name "El Torito". They use the bios function call to oprate. If boot from usb-device, there is no such bios functions!!!

USB-Boot uses the bios extension of the mainboard, but in compare with CD-Boot there is no standards/specifications of it. Every manufacturer of mainboards/bios can implement is own. That is why the bootable usb stick works only on a few mainboards/PCs, but not all.

If someone (from Intel? at best not from M$) definds a specification which would be accepted by all the mainboard manufacturers, then we can programming some utils/tools as boot loader, so multiboot on ubs stick can come.

At ther present we can also do something, if your bios support the usb device as HDD-boot:
1. partitioning the usb device
2. install diff. OS on it / or copy diffrent hdd partion on it
3. modifiy the mbr or copy a installed hdd boot manager on it
you have the "multiboot usb device"

All what you quoted website talked about only usb-single-boot, but our themen is usb-multi-boot ! If you dont understand single-boot, how can you discuss multi-boot! If you cannot walk, sure you cannot run!

In my post I've clearly point out why the multiboot utility for CD cannot work on usb device. I've also point out what is possible,.

[leungda]

Of course I know what you are talking about. my answer is..... Yes.... my BIOS support the USB device as HDD-BOOT... like I can partitioning the USB stick and I can install diff. OS on it (I tried both already). I also can take out all IDE HDD and assign my USB Stick at C: on my BIOS...Maybe, (I think), My computer BIOS will run the USB HDD or USB stick as a IDE HDD.

My motherboard model is ASUS P4P800-VM

[htc]

If you understand it, why did you try to burn a (multiboot-) cd iso image on usb stick?In my post I've point out it is impossible to such thing.
Your post:

Quote

I made a multi-boot CD image (ISO file) and I want to burn it on a USB drive. Is there any problem can do it?

[bigjoe]

FYI,

Flashboot!

exactly what your looking for, unfortunately it has a price tag. I don't know if there are any compareable free programs.

http://www.prime-exp...hboot/index.php

Bigjoe

[jaclaz]

bigjoe,
sorry, I understand you are new on the board, but if I get it right, your first and only post is an ADVERTISEMENT?

By the way, info already posted here, by me:
http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=26612&st=61#

Main thread:
http://www.msfn.org/...showtopic=26612

jaclaz

[HighDarkTemplar]

The possiblity is there, but how to do it without the floppy........



Best Regards
Nerevar